Snap-hook.



No.- 629,689. Patented July 25, I899.

G. .M. HUBBARD.

SNAP HOOK.

(Application filed Mar. 27, 1899.)

(N0 lildel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. HUBBARD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORTO THE WV. & E. T. FITCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,689, dated July 25,1899.

Application filed MarohZ'], 1899. Serial No. 710,576. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen M. HUBBARD, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Snap-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a top or plan view of a snap-hook constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side View of the same; Fig. 3, an under side view of the rear portion thereof; Fig. 4, a top View of the rear portion of a snaphook, showing the side walls open as cast; Fig. 5, a vertical section thereof 5 Fig. 6, a rear view of the snap-hook body detached; Fig. 7, a top or plan View of a round-eye snaphook; Fig. 8, a sectional view on the line a b of Fig. '7; Fig. 9, a side view of a round-eye snap; Fig. 10, a modification.

This invention relates to an improvement in snap-hooks, and particularly to that class which comprise a tubular body and a nose with a spring-bolt arranged within the body and adapted to be held against the nose of the hook and which are known as bolt-snaps, and more especially to bolt-snaps in which the body of the hook is cast open and the sides of the body afterward turned down to form the tubular body for the reception of the bolt and spring.

In bolt-snaps it is desirable that some aperture or opening should be arranged at the rear end of thebody to permit the escape of dirt and water which may collect in the body, and it is most desirable that this opening should be at the top or bottom of the barrel, so that the dirt and water may readily escape; butheretofore when the opening has been formed at the lower or upper edge of the barrel it has been so located that in some instances the end of the spring would escape through the opening. Furthermore,the spring extending across the opening would when compressed by the inward movement of the bolt completely close the opening.

The object of this invention is to produce a bolt-snap having an opening at the upper or lower edge, or both, and so arrange it that the end of the spring cannot escape through the opening and which will not be closed by the spring, and it consists in forming a groove 5 5 or channel in the rear wall of the body, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

As herein shown, the snap-hook consists of a body A, hook ornose B, and loop 0, cast in the usual manner, the edges a b of thebody being cast open in the usual manner. At the rear of the body I form a vertical wall D, and in the inner face of this form a semicircular grooi e d, which groove preferably extends completely through the body, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and so as to provide acircular opening 6 in the bottom of the chamber and whereby when the side walls a b are turned into position, as shown in Fig. 1, a. 7'0 semicircular opening f will be formed in the top of the body. The inner face of the rear wall D, on opposite sides of the groove d, forms a bearing for the spring, which is thereby prevented from completely closing the open- .75 ing and which is also prevented from escaping through the opening. The opening c at the bottom of the chamber intersects the body as it merges into the eye, and there! fore practically opens into the eye and is protected thereby. In some cases, and particularly in round-eye snaps, as'shown in Figs. 8 and 9, it would be objectionable to have the groove extend entirely through the body. In this case the grooved only extends downward. across the inner face of the rear wall. In some cases also the rear wall extends into the body of the hook, as also shown in Figs. 7 and 9, in which case the rear corners of the side walls a. b will be cut away over the groove in the rear wall and so as to expose the groove when the side walls are turned over into position to form the cylindrical body or barrel. In some cases also it may be desirable to slightly bend the upper portion of the rear wall forward, so asto form a tight joint between the rear wall and the ends of the turned-over portion of the body, except at the opening, in which case I will cut away the inner face of the wall on each side of the groove, as shown in-Fig. 10, and

so as to leavea lip g.

Snaps constructed in accordance with my invention are assembled in the usual inanner--that is, after casting the side walls are turned toward each other to form the cylindrical body A and the bolt and spring inserted therein, after which the nose Bis turned into line with the body and so as to stand in the path of the bolt E in the usual manner, and when the side walls are turned in one or both ends of the groove d will be exposed.

In view of the foregoing it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact construction shown, but may be varied according to the form of the bodies and the rear wall thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. A snap-hook comprising a body having sides turned inward to form a barrel, a hook at one end of said barrel and a loop at the opposite end, said body formed with a rear .wall in which is a vertical groove opening through its upper edge, anda bolt and spring arranged within said body, substantially as described;

2. A snap-hook comprising a body having sides turned inward to form a barrel, a hook at one end of said barrel and a loop at the opposite end, said body formed with a rear wall in which is a vertical groove extending entirely through the body so as. to form an opening at opposite sides 'thereof, and a bolt and spring arranged within said body.

3. A snap-hook comprising a body having sides turned inward to form a barrel, a hook at one end of said barrel, and a loop at the opposite end, said body formed with a rear wall beyond the ends of the side walls, said rear wall formed with a vertical' groove, and a bolt and spring arranged within said body, substantially as described.

4:. A snap-hook comprising a body having sides turned inward to form a barrel, a hook at one end of said barrel anda loop at the opposite end, said body formed with a rear wall over which the rear ends of the side walls project, avertical groove in the forward face of said rear wall and opening through the upper edge thereof, the said side walls of the body cut away at their rear meeting ends to expose said groove, and a bolt and spring arranged within said body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE M. HUBBARD.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. F. BREWSTER, JOHN B. FITCH. 

